Sad Loss of Sugar Minott

The Jamaican music industry is struggling to come to terms with the sad loss of Sugar Minott. As a sound operator, a producer and a reggae singer, Minott became a legend in Jamaica and contributed greatly to the world of music. Not only did he launch his own career, but also the careers of many young artists and performers. His unselfish acts of kindness and assistance will never be forgotten by the lives he touched and his music will remain his everlasting legacy.

Sugar Minott was born Lincoln Barrington Minott in Kingston, Jamaica, on 25 May 1956. He became a known face in the music industry in 1969, while performing with The African Brothers. His vocal abilities were immediately recognized, and the group was one of the first bands to display the significant role that Rastafari would have on future bands and artists. The African Brothers went on to record Mysterious Nature and No Cup No Broke, but disbanded in the year 1974. Clement Dodd, a producer at Studio One, gave Minott the opportunity to work at the studio as an apprentice. Soon after he began developing his skills as a percussionist, singer and guitarist, and he found himself in the recording studio recording some of his own work. He was a pioneer in what was to become known as dancehall style, and his popularity slowly began to increase with releases such as Ghetto-ology, Live Loving, Bittersweet, Herbman Hustling, African Soldier and A Touch Of Class. He became a common sight in clubs all over Jamaica, performing to an appreciative audience. Minott used his label, Black Roots, to catapult artists such as Trevor Hartley, Tenor Saw, Horace Andy, Barry Brown and Junior Reid into the music industry spotlight. During his music career, Sugar Minott released numerous singles and more than sixty albums, and became one of the best-known musicians in Jamaica.

Sugar Minott had a few performances planned for May in Canada, but due to suffering chest pains he had to cancel his shows. The cause of his passing has not been made public, but his wife confirmed that he had passed away in Kingston’s University Hospital on 10 July 2010. He will be missed by fans and those who worked with him, as his contribution to the music industry and the lives of those around him will never be forgotten.

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